Planet's deepest blue hole discovered but depth remains a mystery

Sinkholes don't conscionable hap connected land, they besides hap successful nan water wherever they're known arsenic bluish holes. And now, researchers opportunity they've recovered nan deepest 1 yet connected nan satellite – 1 truthful ample that they can't moreover get to nan bottom. 

It's nan Taam Ja' Blue Hole successful Mexico's Chetumal Bay, erstwhile thought to beryllium nan world's second-deepest known bluish hole. But arsenic researchers explained successful an article published successful nan diary Frontiers successful Marine Science connected Monday, scuba divers went to nan tract astatine nan opening of December to return different look, and recovered it was acold bigger that first thought. 

"The TJBH is now nan deepest bluish spread discovered to date, exhibiting h2o depths surpassing 420 mbsl [meters beneath oversea level], pinch its bottommost yet to beryllium reached," authors said successful their diary article. The newly-recorded extent amounts to conscionable complete a quarter-mile beneath oversea level into nan mesopelagic zone, an area different known arsenic nan twilight area since sunlight successful this furniture is importantly reduced. 

Previously, Taam Ja' was thought to person a extent of astir 274 mbsl erstwhile researchers utilized a instrumentality known arsenic an echo sounder to effort and cipher its size based connected nan region that sound waves travel. But because nan style of bluish holes isn't predictable and h2o density tin vary, that method was limited. This clip around, they utilized a method known arsenic SWiFT CTD that amended measures conductivity, somesthesia and extent underwater. However, nan instrumentality was not capable to scope nan bottommost of Taam Ja'.

The updated size places it acold beyond nan depths of different known underwater sinkholes, specified arsenic nan South China Sea's Sansha Yongle Blue Hole, which measures astatine astir 301 mbsl, nan Dean's Blue Hole successful nan Bahamas, which has a extent of astir 202 mbsl, and nan Dahab Blue Hole successful Egypt, which has a extent of astir 130 mbsl.

Location of nan Taam ja' Blue Hole successful Chetumal Bay, Mexico, on pinch images from scuba explorations of nan TJBH astatine depths of 5, 20 and 30 meters beneath oversea level. Alcérreca-Huerta et al. Frontiers successful Marine Science (2024)

Blue holes whitethorn sound scary, but according to NOAA, each 1 tin beryllium an "oasis successful an different barren seafloor." 

"Blue holes are divers biologic communities afloat of marine life, including corals, sponges, mollusks, oversea turtles, sharks and more," NOAA says, adding that small is known astir nan areas because they are mostly inaccessible and their distribution is wide unknown. 

"The opening of a bluish spread tin beryllium respective 100 feet underwater, and for galore holes, nan opening is excessively mini for an automated submersible," NOAA says. "In fact, nan first reports of bluish holes did not travel from scientists aliases researchers, but really came from fishermen and recreational divers."

In:
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• Oceans
• Mexico
• Sinkhole